Written Answers Tuesday 5 October 2010

Scottish Executive

Apprenticeships

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships were there in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2009-10, broken down by local authority.

David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional apprenticeship places for stonemasons have been created by the (a) public and (b) private sector as a result of its 2010-11 budget.

David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how Skills Development Scotland is promoting the availability of additional places for stonemason apprentices in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many apprentice stonemason places were taken up at Telford College in Edinburgh in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. I will ask the Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland to write to the member with the information requested.

Benefits

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been informed of the number of people receiving incapacity benefit who will be reassessed during the pilot in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Keith Brown: The Department for Work and Pensions have advised that 850 people receiving incapacity benefit will be reassessed during the trial in Aberdeen.

Benefits

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been informed of the amount by which the incapacity benefit budget will be reduced as a result of the pilot in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Keith Brown: The Department for Work and Pensions has not made this information available to the Scottish Government.

Benefits

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been a study of the likely impact on the economy of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire of the pilot on incapacity benefits.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has no information on any such study being completed.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish guidance on how to manage exclusion, as outlined in its 2010-11 programme for government.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Government will publish draft guidance, Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2: a positive approach to managing exclusions on the Scottish Government website on 6 October 2010 for national consultation.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a revised Skills Strategy, as outlined in its 2010-11 programme for government.

Keith Brown: I am pleased to announce that the refreshed Skills Strategy, Skills for Scotland: Accelerating the Recovery and Increasing Sustainable Economic Growth , is being published today. Copies will be available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre - (Bib number: 51721).

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish an Information, Advice and Guidance Strategy to encourage and support people to access learning and employment, as is outlined in its 2010-11 programme for government.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is committed to the universal delivery of Career Information, Advice and Guidance, including targeted support for those that need it most.

  The Scottish Government will publish a Career Information, Advice and Guidance Strategy by the end of 2010, outlining how careers services will be delivered in the future, through a variety of delivery channels, including better use of new technology.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) when it will establish the new entrepreneurial programme for young people leaving school, college and university in summer 2010 as outlined in its 2010-11 programme for government, (b) what form it will take, (c) how many places will be available annually (d) and how much funding will it receive.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Government recognises that investment in entrepreneurial learning is essential to increasing our business start up rate so we can to achieve and sustain higher economic growth in Scotland.

  (a) The first group of young people start on 4 October 2010. Recruitment is active and ongoing.

  (b) A nine month programme with three components: (1) immersion and theory; (2) practical experience, and (3) market testing and start-up. It will be underpinned by an SQA accredited Young Enterprise Scotland customised Professional Development Award (Inspiring Enterprise) at SCQF level 7 and be verified by Anniesland College.

  (c) Up to 60.

  (d) £387,000 in 2010-11.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Activity Agreement pilots will be completed and when it will publish the evaluation results.

Keith Brown: The Activity Agreement (AA) Pilots will run until 31 March 2011. We are in the process of appointing an external contractor to carry out an independent evaluation of the AA pilots that will include the identification of good practice. The evaluation is due to be completed by the end of February 2011 and we will publish the findings by 31 May 2011.

Education

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have a policy of pupils paying for their transport when travelling between schools while undertaking advanced higher courses not available in their own schools.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils are being required to pay for their transport when travelling between schools while undertaking advanced higher courses not available in their own schools, broken down by local authority.

Keith Brown: This information is not collected centrally.

Education

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether East Ayrshire Council’s policy of pupils paying for their transport when travelling between schools while undertaking advanced higher courses not available in their own schools is a barrier to pupils from low-income families.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Government’s position is that it understands that East Ayrshire Council is fulfilling its statutory duties and/or exercising its discretion as permitted under the terms of section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.

Health

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34007 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 August 2010, what the reason was for the number of inpatient and day cases treated in the independent sector having been underreported since May 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: In order for NHS boards to complete accurate records for NHS patients referred for treatment in the independent sector and submit them for central collation to ISD, independent hospitals are required to return information to the referring board for each episode of care.

  It was actually prior to 2007 that information received from the independent sector was under reported and was not sufficiently complete to allow boards to generate SMR returns covering all cases that have been handled in whole or in part through the independent sector.

  Since 2007, steps have been taken to improve the recording of this activity and the consequent effects of this on apparent activity can be seen in the answer to question S3W-34007 on 18 August 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  You will note that, in order to further improve the current recording system we are actively considering asking NHS boards to link payment for treatment in the independent sector with completion of SMR records. Payments to the private sector would then be contingent on receipt of accurate and timely case records for each episode of care.

Police

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-36304 by Kenny MacAskill on 23 September 2010, whether it will provide the specific information requested in the question.

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has provided funding to the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) in respect of equalities work undertaken outside of Scotland in the last three years and, if so, how much funding; in what circumstances, and when.

Kenny MacAskill: The annual grant paid by Scottish Ministers to the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) is to support all of their business areas, including the one dedicated to equality and diversity. The precise distribution of the grant is a matter for ACPOS.

School Transport

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with East Ayrshire Council regarding its policy of pupils paying for their transport when travelling between schools while undertaking advanced higher courses not available in their own schools.

Keith Brown: The provision of school transport is statutorily, a matter for local authority consideration and decision. The Scottish Government has not had discussions with East Ayrshire Council on its policies.

Scottish Government Advertising

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on social marketing campaigns in each year since 2007, broken down by campaign.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the Scottish Government website where social marketing spend for campaigns from 2007 to 2009-10 has already been published. Please see the attached link:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Directorates/Services-Groups/17963/advertising-marketing/spend.